Leonard Hurst

Who is Leonard Hurst?

Len Hurst was renowned as a British long-distance athlete, both running and pedestrianism, although he started life as a brick-maker, and spent his last 29 years as a pub landlord.

Hurst won his first adult race in 1887 at the age of 15, whereby the prize of £10 qualified him as 'professional'. In 1896 he won the inaugural Paris Marathon and went on to repeat the victory in both 1900 and 1901.

In 1901 he won the professional 25-mile world championships in London, and in 1903 he broke the world 25-mile record.